Few educational titles hold as much cache and opens as many doors as a PhD. Achieving a doctorate can be time consuming, challenging, and incredibly competitive. However, on the plus side, reaching education’s proverbial summit can sometimes be free. Competition for a full-ride PhD scholarship can be fierce, and rightfully so. Many of the programs that will be discussed here don’t just stop at waiving tuition fees. Many include an annual stipend with some tacking on health insurance and other benefits.

Would you like to be paid to pursue a PhD in a field that you love? Of course, you would. So, let’s take a look at a few of the top fully funded doctoral programs available right now.

Biotechnology – Brown University

The Division of Biology and Medicine at Brown University has two very compelling options for anyone looking to attain a fully funded PhD. Prospective students can seek out their PhD in Biotechnology, while students currently enrolled in the medical school can take advantage of a combined MD/PhD option. According to the program posting, the Biotechnology program sets out to further the understanding of the designs and materials used in novel cell and drug delivery systems, the surgical techniques required for successful implants, and more.

Brown University offers a variety of funding options for incoming doctoral students too. Their five-year guarantee grants those pursuing their PhD with five-years of guaranteed financial support. This includes:

• Four summers;
• A stipend;
• Tuition remission;
• A health-services fee, and;
• A health-insurance subsidy.

That’s in addition to any external or internal funding that the student is awarded.

Cybernetic Systems and Control – Arizona State University

The National Science Foundation stepped up big time by offering a fully funded PhD position in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Arizona State University. The program, which operates in the Cybernetic Systems and Controls Lab, focuses on studying the various ways that computers represent knowledge of the complex nonlinear motion of the world. In practice, this means creating models designed to manipulate structures in space.

Successful applicants should have an aptitude for mathematics, a comprehensive undergraduate education at a top tier engineering or mathematics school, and a 3.6 GPA. A background in algorithms, mathematical analysis, and optimization and control are also highly regarded.

Meeting those criteria and being accepted into this program comes with a lot of perks. The program’s funding includes tuition, a 12-month stipend of up to $2000/month, travel, health case, and expenses.

Wireless Communications and Signal Processing – West Virginia University

If science and technology are your forte, consider this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity from the Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at West Virginia University.

The school is looking to fill a PhD or Masters graduate research position. Moreover, they’re sweetening the deal with a living stiped for two to three years which covers the cost of tuition. However, you will be earning that stipend.

Accepting the position will see you contribute to the development of wireless communications, signal processing, and sensor designs for temperature and corrosion sensing in harsh conditions. Successful candidates will need an extensive background in wireless communications, signal processing, and communication hardware.

Sociology and Social Policy – University of Liverpool

Fully funded PhD opportunities aren’t restricted to the United States. Case in point, this opportunity out of the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom.

A part of the School of Law and Social Justice, the University of Liverpool’s PhD in Sociology and Social Policy focuses its research on urban spaces and culture, crime and regulation, and critical social policy. This program is grounded in empirical research and benefits greatly from the diverse city in which it’s located.

Financial support for this program is available by way of studentships, scholarships, grants, and bursaries.

Education – Columbia University

The Teacher’s College at Columbia University is a prestigious place to learn, grow, and earn your PhD. Columbia offers Educational PhDs in a variety of concentrations, including:

• Education Leadership;
• Economics and Education;
• Cognitive Science and Education, and;
• Science Education.

To be entered, applicants are required to fill out an online application form, complete a statement of purpose, and submit a resume with two letters of recommendation.

The Teacher’s College at Columbia University doesn’t have a specific PhD job request listed, which leaves us with little in the way of stipend and benefit information. The school does offer scholarships, research assistantships, fellowships, and grants, which can be used to cover the full tuition cost.

Business Economics – Harvard University

Those interested in corporate finance, organizations and markets, international business, business strategy, corporate governance, or industrial organization should consider this fully funded PhD opportunity on offer at the prestigious Harvard University.

The PhD in Business Economics program requires a record of strong academic performance. As such, it encourages applications from students with bachelor’s degrees in engineering, the social sciences, sciences, and business.

This opportunity comes with full financial support. That support includes tuition, health insurance fees, and basic living expenses for a minimum of five years through a combination of grants, stipends, traineeships, teaching fellowships, and other academic appointments.

Time to Apply

Earning your PhD takes a lot of hard work, passion, and organization. But, as you’ve no doubt learned today, you might not need a whole lot of money. Whether you’re studying cybernetic systems in Arizona, wireless communications in West Virginia, or Sociology and Social Policy in the UK, you can attain your PhD with nothing but a whole lot of elbow grease.

So, stick with it, don’t be discouraged, and never stop scouring the internet for opportunities. Who knows? It may lead to a full-ride PhD and a lifetime of fascinating opportunities.